4/22/11

The plane ride over to Norway was rough because there were storms, but I made it here alive, thankfully. I am so glad I made it too, because this is another great country.
Here, I visited the Urnes Stave Church, which was built in 1150, and rebuilt two times. It is the oldest wooden church in Norway, and the most beautiful too, if you as me. There is amazing artwork on the exterior of the church that makes it so inviting. And then, when you go inside, it gets even better.
Even though it was a cold, rainy day, I went to Frogner Park. There are lots of plants there, but I don't think I have ever seen so many roses in my life. The sculpture garden in the park is cool, too. It has lots of sculptures of people. My favorite one is where bodies are just stacked on top of each other 20 feet up into the air.
While at the park, I met a police officer that answered some questions I had. Here is what he said in response:

1. Is there a high crime rate in Norway?
About 330,071 crimes are commited each year here, so compared to the United States, we have a low crime rate.
2. Are drugs a major problem here?
About 987 people out of every 100,000 a year get caught doing drugs in Norway, so it is not terribly bad. However, we still need to bring down the numbers of people doing them.
3. Do you think your government could do a better job keeping crime down?
No, they try the best they can, and they can not help the mistakes these people make. They educate them about good choices, and that is all they can do.